Ofcom's findings on The Great Global Warming Swindle

Ofcom says it received 265 complaints about the programme's factual accuracy. Three individuals or organisations - Sir David King, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Prof Carl Wunsch - also complained about the way they were portrayed.

Facts

Ofcom said it was of "paramount importance" that broadcasters such as Channel 4 explored controversial subject matter, with inevitable complaints. The regulator could only assess the complaints under a rule that such programmes must not "mislead the audience so as to cause harm or offence". This set the bar high, Ofcom said. On the charge of misleading by omission, Ofcom said it was clear that the programme was attacking a mainstream view.

Finding: Despite "some concerns about aspects of this programme as regards the portrayal of factual matters", Ofcom said that "Channel 4 had the right to show this programme provided it remained within the code". Despite "certain reservations", Ofcom said it did.

Impartiality

Ofcom said the code only applied to aspects of the programme that could affect public policy. It found the programme did not fairly reflect other views, and that other Channel 4 programmes that reflected the scientific consensus were not "sufficiently timely or linked".

Finding: Breach of rules 5.11 and 5.12, covering impartiality.

Sir David King

Statements about King "amounted to a significant allegation about his scientific views and credibility", to which he had not been given the opportunity to respond. It also ruled that King, below, did not say things attributed to him, such as global warming driving people to the Antarctic.

Finding: Breach of rule 7.1, covering fairness.

IPCC

The programme made a number of "serious allegations" against the organisation and failed to provide a proper opportunity to respond. A separate complaint that the IPCC's first report in 1990 falsely predicted "climatic disaster" was thrown out. Ofcom said this was "not unreasonable".

Finding: Breach of rule 7.1.

Prof Carl Wunsch

The programme makers failed to properly inform Wunsch that the programme he would appear in was a polemic. It also found that viewers would have been left with the incorrect impression that he agreed with its premise. But Ofcom threw out a complaint that his comments about carbon dioxide in the ocean were edited in an unfair way.